We were installing a Farmers Insurance outdoor sign over in the San Fernando Valley. Our man Jorge was on a bucket truck delicately sliding the exterior sign into its slot on a pylon during a sunny day. It was a cloudless day, with a clear blue sky that seemed endless. Perfect weather for the beach… but not quite for working with heavy machinery. It was somewhere around 100 degrees out there, whew. Boy was our guy parched! That’s why we always remember to stay hydrated. It didn’t help that it was a mall sign, which meant a face-full of cool, refreshing AC was nearby teasing him.

It might seem like common sense or an unspoken rule, but it can’t be stressed enough – and it can save lives. Whatever the situation might be, whether it’s working on an outdoor sign or wielding dimensional letters in the shop, always remember to hydrate and keep cool. You can’t always tell if it’ll get really hot or if the work turns out to be tougher than expected. So stay supplied with lots of cool water since dehydration and/or overheating aren’t minor matters. Some snacks would be good too, or sports drinks with electrolytes, because low blood sugar can be just as troublesome.

Needless to say, it’s not nice to feel faint while working at high elevations or handling power tools. If you’re high up then no one might realize what’s happening, and if you’re in the shop while everyone’s busy or wearing ear protection then they might not notice in time either. Potential problems like that can be avoided by maintaining proper levels of hydration. It is an important part of workplace safety (hey, maybe we should make a workplace safety sign saying “Stay Hydrated?!”) that can’t be neglected, easily accessible cool water can be as crucial as a hardhat in preventing incidents – workers and employers alike should keep this in mind.

This applies to a sign installation company like ourselves, since the “workplace” in “workplace safety” can range from indoor environments like the workshop or an office needing a lobby sign, or somewhere out in the field where the precious AC’s nowhere in sight! We have to be really mindful about this stuff.

And another piece of advice, as Baz Luhrmann said to the Class of ’97: Wear Sunscreen.